ITV plans ad campaign to get UK devouring vegetables

The campaign, in association with the Veg Power fund, is scheduled to launch in January 2019 and will be created by ad agency Adam & Eve/DDB. It will aim to get viewers to see vegetables in a new light.

As part of its Feel Good initiative, which aims to inspire healthier diets and more exercise, ITV will donate £2m worth of airtime across its channels for the campaign.

Its production is being funded by an alliance of food retailers, including Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Lidl, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Iceland.

The Veg Power fund was established by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in a bid to tackle the rise in diet-related illnesses in the UK. According to Veg Power, 80% of adults and 95% of teenagers in the UK do not eat enough vegetables.

Carolyn McCall, chief executive of ITV, said: "We know that the power of TV can be used to shape culture and this new advertising campaign will really amplify the message that we all need to eat more veg by broadcasting to millions of viewers during ITV’s biggest programmes.

Fearnley-Whittingstall added: "The world of veg is full of vibrant colours and exciting and diverse tastes and textures, and we want everyone – especially children – to love them more and eat them more. If they do it will make a huge difference to the health of the nation and the lives of our kids."